My father's debut exhibit in Paris would – despite the lost press clipping – be a great success, which was recorded in the Swedish press.
“Harald Sandberg from Stockholm has in the past few weeks had a much talked about exhibit at Galerie Bassano in Paris. He has enjoyed a positive reception by the critics of the Paris press."
The magazine Arts writes among other things: 'Sandberg's splendid portraits, landscapes and figures are distinguished by a sparing, but subtle color, drawings that are as spontaneous as sharp in their characterization, and a freestyle composition.'
And L'Information writes:
'Sandberg displays proof of a surprising authority in creating his portraits and landscapes. Not a tone is overdone, and gray and ochre sing a seductive melody.' The Institute Tessin has acquired a self-portrait by the artist at the exhibit. (Paris, Monday.)"
Dagens Nyheter, April 12, 1955.
“TODAY'S NAME
A Happy Painter
The artist HARALD SANDBERG, who early in the new year had an exhibit at Galerie Moderne, has since also found time to exhibit in Paris at the highly reputed Galerie Bassano.
The French critique has overall been positive. Arts calls his portraits splendid and highlights his subtle colors. And L’Information characterizes his color tones as seductive, and the rest of the press writes in a similar mood. It was hence a very happy painter that the other day returned home to Blackeberg with his family, who during the stay in France primarily camped in a caravan. Sandberg had his debut in 1947. Before that he was a popular lady’s hairdresser. Now he only trims his own beard.”
Dagens Nyheter, April 1955.
Göteborgsposten wrote on April 13 under the headline ”Big Success in Paris for Swedish Artists”:
“(Paris) The Swedish contemporary art is well represented at the beginning of the Paris spring season for art and right now it is Harald Sandberg and Max Valter Svanberg that are receiving the critic's roses. (...)
The Stockholm painter Harald Sandberg exhibits for the first time in Paris at Galerie Bassano and he has enjoyed a reception that is unusual for a debutant in a Paris gallery. The press is generally seeing the convincing nerve and technique of a true artist in Sandberg's paintings.
The art newspaper Arts writes: 'A spare, but subtle color, Harald Sandberg's splendid portraits, landscapes and figures are as spontaneous as sharp in their characterization, and freestyle composition.'
L'Information offers the following unreserved acknowledgement for Sandberg’s talent. 'Sandberg displays proof of a surprising authority in creating his portraits and landscapes. Not a tone is overdone, and gray and ochre sing a seductive melody'. "
Anders Berg, Göteborgsposten's correspondent, April 13, 1955.
The clippings from the French papers fill several pages in the binders with reviews and press quotes. There is even a clipping from a New York paper.
“Harald Sandberg uses cool pastel blues, greens, and grays in his informally and loosely constructed oils. The muted colors give a veiled look in his landscapes, portraits and still-lifes."
New York Herald Tribune, March 30, 1955
A registered letter from Monsieur Bassano arrives sometime after the exhibit. It contains a settlement note and a check for 60,000 Francs which was old Francs and not worth a lot, but that didn’t diminish my father’s success.
The two successful 1955 exhibits in Stockholm and Paris gave him a chance to spread his wings, and he did not waste his time, but arranged several new exhibits. He also started a private art school at home in his studio. He poses together with five young students in an undated clipping from the local paper Västerort.
On June 8 he is featured with a four-column photo in Söderhamns Tidning under the headline “The Painter and Maj in June.” He is wearing a goatee, a black beret, and a black and white checkered jacket. The photo caption reads:
“The artist Harald Sandberg – a native son of Söderhamn – is currently visiting his hometown after his successful Paris exhibit. Here the artist is seen as he is drawing a sketch of a well-known Söderhamn motif, with Emil Näsvald's sculpture ‘Maj’ in the foreground.”
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